NAMI NJ Multicultural Conversations Series: “Strengthening The Village: Community, Advocacy, and Maternal Mental Health”

The presentation “Strengthening the Village: Community, Advocacy, and Maternal Mental Health” celebrates the power of community in nurturing and supporting families during the perinatal journey. It explores how community partnerships and advocacy efforts can break down barriers to mental health care and promote equitable outcomes for all mothers and babies. It highlights how collaboration and advocacy can help remove barriers to care, ensuring that every mother and baby has the opportunity to thrive.

Rooted in the March of Dimes mission to lead the fight for the health of all moms and babies, the conversation focuses on advancing equity, compassion, and connection. Together, we explore how strengthening our village can foster brighter beginnings and healthier futures for every family.

After the presentation, there will be an opportunity for Q&A. This webinar will be recorded and posted on our website and YouTube channel after the webinar has ended.

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Speaker Biography: Shakira Williams-Linzey, MPH

For more than two decades, Shakira has been committed to improving maternal and infant/child health outcomes, with a focus on reducing racial, ethnic, and economic disparities. She is the Director of Maternal Infant Health in the New York/New Jersey market with March of Dimes, a national organization whose mission is to lead the fight for the health of all moms and babies. The goals are to end the preventable maternal health risks and deaths, end preventable preterm birth and infant death, and close the health equity gap.

Prior to this position, Shakira was the Director of Reproductive Health and Childhood Initiatives and Regional Manager for Family Support with NJ Early Intervention System with Central Jersey Family Health Consortium. She began her career in health administration at Cigna Healthcare, working with the company in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey in the company’s Human Resources, Sales and Provider Relations sectors.

Shakira earned her Master of Science in Public Health from Temple University in Philadelphia and her Bachelor of Science in Health Science from William Paterson University in New Jersey. She also holds a certificate in Women’s Entrepreneurship from Cornell University and is a graduate of the Rockwood Leadership Institute Fellowship.

She currently serves on several boards and coalitions, including the Newborn Screening Advisory Review Committee, the New Jersey Maternal Experience Survey Advisory Board, the Power of NJ Birth Stories (PNJBS) Advisory Committee, the Leadership Council for the Alliance for Diversity Education, Practice, and Transformation (ADEPT), and the Board of Trustees for the Central Jersey Family Health Consortium.

Shakira is also actively involved in community service organizations, including the New Brunswick Area Branch of the NAACP, the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), Mocha Moms, Inc. of Middlesex County, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She resides in New Jersey with her husband and their three children.